Soundtrack bits and bytes

November 21st is the release of I Choose Noise, the highly anticipated electronica album from the synth-rock band Hybrid. Also collaborating on this inventive work was film music composer Harry Gregson-Williams, who is known for (among other things) his own heavily synthesized projects for films such as Man on Fire and Domino. Amazon.com's editorial review comments that Gregson-Williams direction of a 36-piece orchestra gives "the album's compositions a deliciously harrowing, cinematographic quality."

I, myself have listened to this album (via my Napster account) and cautiously recommend it to a film music enthusiast who enjoys the techy, synth-crunch effects popularly utilized by Brian Tyler and David Arnold. Indeed, this is very James-Bond-ish.

Fans of Dario Marianelli will appreciate the fact that Lakeshore records is finally releasing his score to The Return--the (underwhelming) thriller starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Marianelli is one of the most excited new composers in Hollywood today, in my opinion. The satiric "news"paper The Onion, had this to say about the movie and its music:

"A sales rep for a trucking company, her work takes her to Texas, where she's assaulted by all the signs of a barely trying B-movie. You know what I mean: her radio goes crazy when she enters a supernatural danger zone; she sees someone else's face in the mirror; the score becomes a hyperactive blend of violins, wind chimes and a ghost that keeps whispering 'sunshiiiiine' in her ear."

I can only grin and appreciate the mocking humor of Keith Phipps. :-P

Also, Gustavo Santaolalla's intriguing score to Babel comes out this week on the Concord label. Gustavo has taunted me with sparks of greatness, but I never really know what to expect with him. If you're wondering about the "spark" of greatness, I'll admit, I heard it in his Brokeback Mountain soundtrack. But rarely. And that score still was a woeful Oscar pick.

And, recently announced, Lalo Shifrin (an uncontested veteran of the film music genre) is composing Rush Hour 3, yet again teaming up with Director Brett Ratner in this series. I've never been a big Shifrin fan, but I do admit that Jackie Chan flicks are a guilty pleasure of mine. But Lalo's scores are very distinctive, and he has undoubtedly had a great influence on film music over the years (he's 74 now); with one of more famous gifts being the Mission Impossible theme. Yeah, now you know who I'm talking about!

And, yet another composer passes on. Nigel Holton drowned in New Zealand last month (just now the news is really making the rounds, though). Here's an excerpt from the Soundtrack.net report:

Nigel Holton, 54, died on October 26th in an accidental ocean drowning while visiting relatives in New Zealand. Nominated for an IFP "Spirit" award in 1992 for Kiss Me a Killer, he scored over 30 feature films, 40 documentaries and numerous short films, and released 2 albums as a contemporary instrumental artist. He composed music for the Turner Classic Movies Series on Silent Film Stars, including portraits of Marion Davies, Howard Hughes and Clara Bow. Born in Canterbury, England on July 7, 1952, he was a naturalized U.S. citizen and resided in Newbury Park, CA.

After watching The Prestige, drowning seems a little more real than ever. Awful. :-(

And speaking of deaths, the latest in the "Hannibal the Canibal" series Hannibal Rising (due next year), has a new poster (pictured) and a new composer. The poster I...like(?), but the composer: Ilan Eshkeri, I kinda go "huh?" about.
And I'll leave you with that charming visage. :-)

Have a great day, soundtrack lovers of the world!